title: Remote monitoring of implantable pacemakers: in-office setup significantly improves successful data transmission.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Remote wireless follow-up of implanted pacemakers (PM) has become an attractive method of follow-up. Although wireless PM follow-up has several advantages compared with transtelephonic and office-based follow-up, its utility depends on successful transmission.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Initial in-office setup of wireless PM will improve transmission rate as compared with home setup.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 202 consecutive patients from 2 medical centers were included in this retrospective study. Patients in the home setup group (N = 101) had traditional home setup of wireless PM, whereas patients in the in-office group (N = 101) had setup of PMs by allied health professionals during the postoperative office visit. Successful transmission was defined as successful initial wireless transmission of PM data by 2 months postimplant.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 101 patients in the home setup group, 22 (22%) patients had successful transmission. Of the 101 patients in the in-office group, 92 (91%) patients had successful transmission (P < 0.0001). Logistic regression analysis showed that that the in-office group was independently associated with successful transmission (odds ratio: 114.5; 95% confidence interval: 32.1-408.4; P < 0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In patients implanted with PM capable of remote wireless data transmission, initial home setup of the wireless monitoring device was frequently unsuccessful. In-office PM setup was associated with a significantly higher rate of successful transmission.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, Redwood City, California.
authors.forename: Xiushui
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Apostolakos
authors.forename: Thuy Hong
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Vo
authors.forename: Richard E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.forename: Korey
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shields
authors.forename: Nader M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Banki
authors.forename: Douglas W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Zuckermann
authors.forename: Alexander C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Flint
authors.forename: Richard H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Hongo
authors.forename: Nora F
authors.initials: NF
authors.lastname: Goldschlager
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D002140:California; D002304:Cardiac Pacing, Artificial; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D009819:Office Visits; D010138:Pacemaker, Artificial; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D017216:Telemedicine / Q000379:methods*; D013686:Telemetry; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D059015:Wireless Technology